


I know you didn't ask for this.

by IndulgeTinas



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bittersweet, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Gen, I saw a prompt and before I knew it I had the whole fic planned out, Isshu-chihou | Unova, Mentions of Alola, Mentions of Background Characters, Mentions of Universe Hoping, No Romance, Pals being dorks, Platonic Relationships, Self-Indulgent, Self-Insert, Set a few years after all conflicts in the Pokemon World are resolved, So this is how my start writting my SI universe, Spoilers, Technically spoilers for an in-universe reveal, There is more lore but let's take it easy, Too Many Pokémon To Tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-12
Updated: 2019-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:21:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21764572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IndulgeTinas/pseuds/IndulgeTinas
Summary: A joyful afternoon that was supposed to be of rest, after the Champion returned from her duties (for the short time being) was interrupted by the memories of a tense conversation held two months ago.But who could have imagined that a Heart-to-Heart could be so...Tense.Especially when it's related to the fate of a close friend.
Kudos: 7





	I know you didn't ask for this.

**Author's Note:**

> Well- Hello there! 
> 
> As the mash of tags briefly explained, this thing right here was born out of a post I found on Tumblr about prompts, and because I have no self-control, I spent the past 2 months writting this thing- I blame my perfectionism.  
There will be many things that will be expanded on once I get on with writting the story chronologically, so you may consider this a side-story of the things to come. But because this particular fic is set on the future, there are spoilers from the first parragraph so- oops.
> 
> Alas- thank you for your time if you read it, and I hope that you enjoy!  
If you believe self-insert stories are cringy- I don't blame you, I still struggle to talk to others about it- but heck, I am having fun and I'm not harming anyone, so what is the problem with being a little over the top? Life is short and precious to worry about cringe!
> 
> But, you are welcome to leave at any time and forget you even encountered me or this fic. I completely understand!
> 
> With my thoughts out of the way- have a good read, and I'll see you next time!

A soft breeze flew across the sky, shaking the leaves of the area, making them echo that all too familiar passing melody. The sky above was losing their bright blue color after a long day, becoming a mix of all sorts of orange and yellow hues, as the clouds far away began to take a darker tone to match the contrast of the sky.

Other than the occasional gust of wind, the chirps of various pokemon all over the route- both in and out of the forest- and the rolling of multiple bikes as they did laps, that afternoon was quiet, at least when compared to the lively life of the grand and glamorous city of Nimbasa that was right next to that- almost disconnected- route.

Hidden amongst a large quantity of thick bushes and closely grouped trees was the entrance to a safe, untouched haven of wildlife: The Lostlorn forest, one of the biggest clearings in the whole region, as well as one of the least disturbed by human hand since it’s discovery.

Or, at least it had been until six years ago, when a small family of three moved in, placing a pre-built cottage close to the depths of the clearing, in order to be the least of a nuisance possible to the rest of the environment.

The humble home was made of wood that hadn't been painted. It only had one floor, but you could see the smallest hint of extra space when you walked close enough, a small attic. The front face of the building looked so plain that one could swear that it was the home of a lone person that cared naught for the appearance of their home, and that enjoyed the loneliness and silence that the forest provided.

* * *

Inside the cottage though, 'silent' isn't how you would describe the atmosphere. There were faint but constant noises close to the area of the kitchen, from dainty steps, a kettle full of water boiling, the rapid stirring of a wooden spoon against dough, as well as many kitchen utensils being placed across the cramped space by the creatures that stood close to the lone girl in the kitchen.

Her bright, green eyes mostly stayed focused on the mix, save for those times where she took quick glances at the recipe book that her new friend- a Bulbasaur- was holding up for her. A Comfey and a Ribombee hovered around, keeping the place in order by storing away the items that were not needed anymore, and those who were dirty would be given to Clefairy, who was standing on a stool right in front of the sink, ready to wash the items handed to him. The fairy sang happily, waving around the wet silverware and pots in his tiny hands to aid the drying up process.

The consequence? The area around the sink was slippery.

But not all of Lillie's pokemon were currently assisting in the kitchen. Swablu and the snow-colored Vulpix were, for the moment, napping away on the couch of the living room, cuddling against one another. As much as they wanted to help their trainer, it was evident that the room wasn't spacious enough for 7 creatures and if anyone got hurt- if they got  _ Lillie _ hurt- they wouldn't be able to forgive themselves for allowing it to happen. So, they chose to wait until the rest of their friends were done baking, before assisting with putting down the table.

After a few more moments of silent stirring, where Lillie hummed in contentment, the dough softened, with little bubbles making their way towards the top, popping the moment they were exposed to the surface. The remains of the batter that were on the spoon dripped back quickly into the bowl. It was done, and now all that was left, was to leave it in the oven.

She puffed up her chest proudly, striking her arms close to her body in a victory pose. "W-we did it!" The blonde girl glanced towards her Pokemon, as they made cheery sounds of celebration. Bulbasaur closed the book he was holding with his vines, waddling towards the living room to return it where he had seen Lillie take it from. Clefairy waved with grander enthusiasm the spoon he still held on his paw, which made the droplets of water bounce everywhere. Ribombee became worried about the possibility of someone slipping and so, flew to get a towel. Their trainer couldn't help but look at them tenderly, as they worked together.

Soon enough, Lillie's eyes darted towards Comfey, who looked confused without a task to do. The Alolan caught the flower crown pokemon's attention and proceeded to ask sweetly: "Could you get me the mold, Fey? I'll preheat the oven and clean the counter." The brightly colored Pokemon chirped, floating away towards the cabinets on top of the counters. Lillie walked cautiously towards the oven, staring intently at the buttons as she tried to remember which ones had to be turned on. Her quiet yet happy humming resumed, as the young girl spun the rolling buttons. The oven lighted up as it started emitting slow, increasing warmth from the inside. She turned away to grab the paper towels, just as Fey came back, gently placing the diverse shaped molds next to the bowl.

Just as Lillie started to scrub the counter, an unexpected quake shook the area. It only lasted a couple of seconds, but the sheer force and proximity of it managed that many of the objects inside the house tripped over. Lillie's pokemon perked up, taken aback by the source of the tremor, before they rushed to the girl's side to check on her. She, on the other hand, held tightly onto the counter, praying that none of the items in the shelves would fall and break- which thankfully, didn't happen, but her heartbeat wouldn't be at ease.

Movement could be heard from the other room, as a couple of stronger-looking Pokemon peered inside the kitchen: An older-looking Luxray who turned his head, gesturing towards the living room- and a Gardevoir who chirped, clearly worried. Lillie slowly blinked, before letting out her held breath as she stood straight, letting go of the counter. "I-I'm alright, you don't have to worry about me." she reassured them, even if her voice didn't have as much confidence. Luxray huffed as he repeated the previous motion; however, Gardevoir shakes her head towards her teammate, dismissing his suggestion. Instead, she lifted her hand as it became surrounded by a pink glow, starting to put in order the items that had fallen during the quake.

Luxray walked out the kitchen clearly unamused, before standing in front of the door, staring at it sternly.

Lillie, recovering her composure, carefully started to pour the dough into the molds. The counter would have to wait, just a little.

* * *

On the other side of the door, a quiet rummage of cloth could be heard- the zip of a bag being open, followed by the familiar shingling of a single key as it made its way against the lock. After the  _ click _ , it took a couple of seconds before a person entered the home.

Luxray, who before the tremor had been on the living room guarding the cottage from unexpected situations, started to bark and growl- or rather,  _ to scold _ the visitor. The man jumped in place, definitely startled, before turning to stare at the feline pokemon- clearly confused- as Luxray kept going on and on in his rant. The visitor started to take in the words only  _ he _ seemed to understand, and so, commenced to slowly wave his hands in front of him, which caused the key to jingle. "Peace my friend, you don't have to be so angry."

Luxray huffed, growling one last time and staring intently into his eyes. The man sighed. "I'm sorry...I forgot that we shouldn't land so close to the house."- his voice was apologetic, sincere, and that was enough to make Luxray tone down the aggressive stance; he let out a couple more barks before retreating near the couch, curling and closing his eyes.

The man rubbed the back of his neck; approaching the couch and leaving his humble traveling bag there, before glancing around the room. He took notice of the holes on the couch, belonging to the small creatures that had probably been resting on it just a couple of moments ago, but that they were nowhere to be seen now. The table placed next to the wall near the kitchen, was, curiously enough, empty.

Other than the Luxray's snoring, the house was strangely silent. So much so that, he didn't hear any footsteps from the second floor, or the creak of the stairs when someone comes down. 

The spell of silence was broken when a noise burst out from the kitchen. It was the sound of an oven's door opening and closing, and a couple of seconds later, the door separating the rooms opened and Lillie- as well as her pokemon- emerged from the kitchen. On her arms, she was carrying plenty of plates and utensils, towering dangerously from side to side, while a familiar Gardevoir followed behind the group, holding out her palms and keeping the girl steady. Just as Lillie turned around to face the table, she noticed the man that was standing in the living room; a bright smile formed in her face and, lost in excitement, attempted to wave. "Oh! Hello N! I thought you would come by tomo-" yet, her greeting was interrupted as the tower of plates threatened to fall over. N quickly walked over to take off a few of those from Lillie's hands and gently placed them on the table. 

Once the items were secured on the flat surface, he turned to the young trainer. "Lillie, you know that you shouldn't carry so many things by yourself. Or worse yet, greet me while you stumble around." The girl huffed, leaving the remaining items on the table, too. "I-I know, I'm sorry."

N shook his head. "Just be more cautious next time." Lillie nodded, still clearly shaken from the almost-accident- and to take her mind off what had just happened, she started to fiddle with the plates and silverware, checking if she had brought everything. Seeing her actions, N retreated a few steps keeping his distance from the young trainer, taking another look around the room.

Still uncharacteristically silent.

It was difficult to hide the disbelief in his voice. After all, it wasn't like  _ her _ to leave Lillie alone...Even if her Pokemon were taking care of the girl from the islands. "Are you by yourself?"

Lillie shook her head. "Tina's outside, she...has been for quite a while now..." Her eyes glanced towards the glass door that lead to the back garden, before turning back to the table. "And I...had an idea, so I thought I would be able to finish it before she came back in." she confessed, hoping that N wouldn't ask about what that idea was. After all, it was a surprise.

There was no need to ask for more details, as the smell of baking dough was enough to infer the nature of the idea, so he just nodded in understanding. "What about her parents?"

"Oh, Ms. Blair and Mr. Grevil? Well...after giving us all of their usual warnings and their-" She paused a moment to clear her throat, "-'If anything happens call us immediately'- They said they wanted to have a day for themselves, and that we shouldn't wait for them until lunch tomorrow." She looked at a clock at the nearby wall, furrowing her eyebrows. "They...left about an hour ago, actually."

"Ah, that explains it." A laugh threatened to slip him at the concern of Tina's parents. The three of them were so much alike that it was difficult to tell from whom, exactly, she inherited the "overprotective" trait. Although...knowing the present circumstances, it made complete sense as to  _ why _ they were so worried for their safety.

And because of those reasons the chuckle died on his throat.

He eyed the table again, noticing how Vulpix, Bulbasaur and the rest of her Pokemon assisted Lillie on her secret task. He smiled at the creatures and they, in return, greeted him happily. Turning his attention back on Lillie before going outside to greet his friend, he asked. "Will you be alright? No carrying more than what you can?"

Lillie- both to amuse herself and reassure him- performed her signature pose for the second time that evening. "I will be! As long as I focus my mind and might from my Z-powered form, I can do anything! W-with proper caution, that is." The enthusiasm on her voice died down at the last sentence, finishing her speech with a sheepish giggle. She followed it up with a much calmer sentence, "So...Don't mind me while you two talk. I'll let you know when all is done."

Tina's Gardevoir interjected the conversation, placing a hand on the younger trainer's shoulder. _ "I'll make sure she won't be in harm's way. All of us will."  _ Those were her words.

Feeling reassured, N nodded once more. "Very well. I'll be outside then." But before he could even arrive at the door's handle, he then proceeded to kneel down to give gentle pats on the head to the young Pokemon in the room, and they emoted happily as he did so. That action amused the young trainer, who couldn't contain her laugh.

It took a couple extra minutes of distraction to get back on track, but he eventually stood in front of the sliding door, and stepped outside.

* * *

The moment he stepped outside, his body was hit by the cool breeze of the young afternoon. It was a refreshing air, so he didn't mind that the wind messed up his bangs. On the nearby wall where two things that caught his eye: A wooden bench that, by the dust and leaves on top of it, had not been used at all lately, and a hanging lamp that had a small, yet bright flame inside it.

His eyes went back to search for her, taken aback by the 'sudden disappearance' on her own home.

Finally, he spotted her.

Hidden both by the looming shadows created by the sunset and the shape of the tree she was sitting under, was Tina; Five-times champion of the regional leagues all across the world- a feat unique to her, at least, for now- Hero of Truth and one of the strongest trainers of the current generation...

But above all those titles, she was his friend.

He headed towards her, and on the way he greeted most of the pokemon that were happily enjoying themselves in the freedom of the forest. There was a small fence that rounded the back of the cottage, making a long circle that closed itself just before the forest at the further back- all the pokemon that stayed inside the delimitation belonged to Tina, while those who lived in the open space before the entrance of the house and in the depths of the forest, as well as the top of the waterfall, belonged to the wilderness.

All of her friends recognized him, but not everyone treated him in the same way- some of them actively approached to greet him, while others simply acknowledged distantly that he was there. It didn't bother him at all of course, for every pokemon has a unique personality and manner of showing their affection, and he respected the wishes of his friends.

But at last, he arrived to the lone tree. He made himself comfortable by sitting close to her. Thanks to the new proximity, now he was able to tell what was she was doing.

Her eyes were firmly closed, her expression blank. It didn't seem like she was sleeping, if anything, the concept closest to her actions would be meditation- but that didn't seem right, either. But whatever it was, she was focused.

Maybe the dancing shadows projected by the leaves fooled his eyesight, but he could swear that she was frowning.

One of her hands was held out in front of her body, palm upwards, holding onto a small object. She was gripping it tightly, shown by her fingers twitching on the edges from time to time due to the tension exerted.

N frowned when he recognized it. The Medallion.

It was such a strange thing...He wasn't able to identify the metal or stone of what it was made, and the shape was even more mysterious: Straight lines of an X shape that meet with a small, perfect circle in the center, and curved lines that came out of the exterior edges of the X connecting near the tips, seemingly blending in, carved so carefully, without any mistake or crack to be seen on any sides, and those small, green gemstones at the four tips of the X that didn't have any of the carvings that would normally indicate that they had been carefully placed by a talented- yet human, blacksmith.

There were so many things he was uncertain about in regards of that item, and it bothered him immensely: He didn't know if it was light or heavy, even if it looked rather thin- at least knowing the weight would give him an inkling of what the material was- he didn't know if it was painted gold or if it  _ was _ pure gold...

And there was also that glass-like circle in the middle of it all, so clear that you would believe it was completely hollow until your hand was stopped mid-way by the invisible lens or, if a light happened to shine directly on it, reflecting it and gleaming.

Because of those, and many other reasons, it felt unreal...out of this world.

...But thinking too long and hard about it wasn't good for him. It already soured his mood just by remembering that, that  _ thing _ even existed. But, it seemed he would have to learn to deal with one more thing he disliked in this world, to his dismay.

He took his eyes off the medallion, looking ahead towards the cottage; listening the faint, yet comforting noises of the wind blowing, the leaves clashing against one another, as well as Tina's many, many Pokemon as they walked, flew, dug and swam all over the forest. Nature in its purest form and expression brought him peace.

A couple of seconds of comfortable silence passed between them, before he took initiative clearing his throat. "Hey."

The change on her face was almost instantaneous.

The Champion's furrowed brows disappeared, replaced by a confused expression that only lasted a split second before it morphed again, this time, to a relaxed one. However, despite the more easygoing and attentive aura, her eyes remained closed still.

A dainty laugh came from her. "Hey there, Lettuce" She said, with that all too familiar mocking, yet playful tone.

Nickname aside- he was relieved to see and hear her once again. Perhaps the years had softened him much more than he would like to admit, but it was undeniable that he had missed his friend.

"When did you arrive?"

He shrugged, even if she couldn't see him. "Just now. I'm surprised you didn't notice, Zekrom and I landed fairly close to your house." 

The woman winced. "Ah...Did you? Sorry, I was...lost in thought." Was the excuse she dished out; however, her head didn't move at all to face him.

N had to restrain the impulse to side-eye the item on her hand as she said those words. "...Did I interrupt something important?" Shaking her head Tina replied, voice calm but apologetic- "No, no. I just lost track of time while..." A pause, " _ Discussing _ , some things." her fingers tensed up slightly, tapping the pointy edges.

He understood, but just barely what she meant by that.

Instead, he opted for moving on the conversation rather of dwelling on the  _ almost _ taboo topic. "How...long are you staying this time?"

"Until next week. I need to get on an express airplane to Johto for some- well, unexpected challengers booked by next Wednesday, but after I'm done with that I'll have a decently sized break!"

He turned to face his friend, raising an eyebrow, "Are you certain that it is a full week off, or do you have Champion business in Unova, too?" The observation caught Tina off-guard, ashamed of how easily she could be predicted- a disadvantage of knowing each other so well. Her composed posture broke off, retracting her up-body inwards, but making an extra effort to keep her hand in place. "Ah- well, er...I... _ maaaay _ have a little event in three more days...But it's just for the afternoon, I promise!" The attempt to excuse herself was a definite failure because of how her voice betrayed her in that moment, making it squeaky and more taciturn.

He rolled his eyes, sighing in disappointment. "Figures..." 

Being Champion of one region had to be a demanding job for sure...but to maintain so many Championships under her name at the  _ same time _ had to be a form of torture in on itself. That was the conclusion he reached after seeing her state every time Tina came back home for her breaks- exhausted, but not really enjoying her free time because she would be staring at her schedule to be  _ absolutely certain _ that she wasn't going to slip on the dates and-  _ oh Arceus no _ , ask for a  _ slight delay _ on the planned events.

It was a miracle in itself that she had not snapped yet. But she shouldn't have to collapse due to stress or restlessness to understand her limits...Especially since, knowing her, she would be concerned about all of the delays her medical leave would inflict on her compromises to actually recover properly.

The sound of her voice snapped N out of his unvoiced concerns. "...And how have you been? Did you go out of Unova this time?"

"No. I stayed on the northern parts of the region, for the most part."

She nodded slowly, "I...see. That's neat! You'll have to share if anything interesting happened, you know?" However, a thought crossed her mind, which made her frown. "And...Hopefully you aren't hiding any new injures, are you?"

He may criticize her actions- either by words or thoughts- but N wasn't any better himself. His love for pokemon could sometimes overrule his better judgement, which would result in many  _ preventable _ injuries, concentrated around his torso and backside. He would try to hide them, but small, coincidental touches would trigger winces that exposed him.

He sighed, already expecting this topic to surface. "I do not. You don't need to ask every time we are in person. Zoroark and Zekrom both make sure I don't do as many reckless things, you know that."

Tina's voice however, softened. "You don't sound very convincing to me...Besides, you know I ask because-"

"Because you care about me, I know that well." After all, he had heard it so many times...and yet- it never stopped sounding sincere.

Silence once again lingered between them, but not for long as Tina scoffed. "I'm asking Zek anyway" Which he knew actually meant: " _ I'll ask Reshiram to tell me telepathically what Zekrom tells them." _ He let out a confident laugh. "Do it. I don't have anything to hide."

He had missed moments like this, where he could laugh at ease and feel...safe, with a dear friend. Humans may not be his preferred company since they can get truly exhausting- with their unpredictability of mood as well as their words and actions that could get easily misunderstood. But, he had come to understand that some humans were worth pushing his boundaries for the friendly banter and the welcoming warmth.

The warmth that he missed out for many years.

But something lingered on his mind ever since he came through that door that made this moment bittersweet.

The last time they saw each other was two months ago, and they didn't end that visit on a positive note.

* * *

* * *

_ The day before she departed for Hoenn- where she had been until the present day- Tina asked both Lillie and N to follow her to a somewhat remote location, as she wanted to talk to them in private. The stroll was rather amine and lively at first, as the girl from Alola took in the wonderful sights of northern Unova which, she was seeing for the first time. Her excitement was very contagious. _

_ But the longer the walk became, the more silent and somber Tina became as well. _

_ She began to walk ahead of them, showing only her backside while the aura surrounding her started to become tense, cold. _

_ It was unnerving to see her this serious. N was reminded of himself all those years ago, and those memories made him feel awkward; that had been a part of his life that he couldn't erase, just come to terms with it and work on himself towards becoming a better person due to what those experiences teached him, but despite that, when he found himself remembering those times, it was inevitable to feel some sort of shame about it- and because of that, it felt very concerning that her attitude resembled his.  _

_ The only time he had witnessed Tina match a similar stance the circumstances that surrounded them were different, as it was when they were having their battle for their beliefs- her Truth and his Ideals. _

_ He had tried to ignore that aura, and the uncertainty that came with it, by entertaining Lillie with his knowledge of the region. Lillie asked many questions during this time regarding the Pokemon, their usual habitats, the customs and history of the region and many other things, and she took in all those explanations eagerly, looking more and more excited for being in the region by the minute. This made time pass by much faster, until at last, Tina stopped walking, and instead, commenced to wander towards a cave. _

_ They kept going for a short while, until they were at a cautious distance inside. _

_ Tina had taken a few moments, in which she stood still in the middle of the room, before letting out a heavy sigh. They could hear as she started mumbling something, as well as the faint jingle of something metallic. _

_ Lillie was the first one to break the silence. "So...why did you bring us all the way here? Couldn't we talk about...whatever you wished to say, back at your home?" _

_ The champion took a couple of seconds to answer, without turning to face them. "Because...I wanted to make sure that no one else is eavesdropping" _

_ She turned around, holding out the medallion on her hand. Her eyes seemed...distant, cold. They didn't hold the expression of vibrant life they normally had, which made her golden-like eyes appear dull and empty. _

_ Her voice in that moment matched her current stance. "As I said before we departed, I wanted to talk about something important, considering that both of you have seen me...use this before." The emphasis she gave to the word "use" gave them the needed clue of what was that she wanted so desperately to talk about. _

_ "As you two know...this medallion is special. It allows me to perform feats that...a normal person shouldn't be able to, even if they possessed psychic abilities." _

_ He didn't like the tone, or where the conversation was headed. _

_ The mere idea of relive everything that conversation the conversation entailed made his skin crawl. He had gone back to it many times during the earlier weeks after it was over- word for word, motion by motion- he had pretty much memorized the entire monologue, that it could perfectly plague his nightmares. _

_ But one phrase had stuck on his mind more than the others. _

_ "Every time I use this medallion..." _

_ "My lifespan shortens, and eventually, I will die." She had finished, in a matter-of-fact tone. _

_ Not a theory, or speculation nor possibility. It was stated as a fact, as something inevitable. _

_ It felt like a bucket of freezing water had been ducked all over him- and he was certain it must have felt the same or perhaps even worse, for the girl next to him- and soon enough, he had lost focus on the conversation. The words echoed tauntingly on his mind as Tina keep her speech going- explanations and excuses- but that wasn't the only noise on the room, as he was certain that Lillie was speaking too. He could feel the despair on the girl's voice as she begged her friend to explain why she agreed to take that thing if it was going to kill her. _

_ And Tina answered, emoting for the first time since she shut herself away from them. _

_ "Because I didn't know what this was going to do to me! I was tricked!" She screamed; genuine fear and regret mixed in her words. Her scream had brought him back to reality, at least for a few moments. _

_ He watched as she repeated those words to herself a couple of times. Tricked? By who? _

_ And why? _

_ "T-then- why don't you get rid of it?" Lillie asked, voice trembling. "I-if that thing hurts you so much- why do you keep it?" _

_ Tina grabbed the Medallion again, looking downcast while her bangs covered her eyes. "I- can't do that. If I stay...too far away from it I will..." She shook her head. "Lillie...Do you remember what happened in Alola? With Necrozma?" _

_ Lillie stiffened, but nodded slowly, as the gears were turning inside her head. "Then...the reason why you were like...like that when you and Soleil came back from Ultramegalopolis...Was because-" _

_ N turned his head towards the younger one. "What happened in this- Ultramegalopolis place?" His tone had become harsher, desperate. It made Lillie flinch, since she had not mentioned that back when both girls arrived the first time- in part due to Tina asking her not to, and on the other hand because it pained Lillie to remember. _

_ But Tina realized the increasing discomfort plastered on Lillie's face, and choose to act. "Listen N, I-I'll tell you about that, but don't make Lillie remember-" _

_ "Remember what? What happened?!" he demanded. _

_ He wasn't proud of his reaction now that he looked back on it, but...it was painfully easy for him to lose composure when his emotions took over. _

_ At least, one good thing was that he was learning to hold back. After Tina finished her new explanation, he turned around and left the cavern without saying a word to either of them, hands curled into shaking fists the whole time. Too many emotions were rising- but he needed to be alone, to be as away as possible, before he started to say things much harsher than they needed to be. _

_ Neither of them deserved it. _

_ He heard Lillie call out to him, and Tina followed suit as she stopped the novice trainer. "Don't. He...needs space. I understand that this is too much to take in." _

_ It was. All of it...was just too much. _

_ He lost track of time and thus, didn't know how long he had walked, holding in all of his boiling emotions with a tight leash, for in any moment they would explode. It wasn't until his legs finally gave out, that he let everything out of his system. _

_ The anger, the sadness, the grief, the shock, the impotence. _

_ First, she had disappeared without a trace for four long years- which caused most of the world to believe she had been assassinated; and right after she  _ ** _finally_ ** _ comes back after being lost in a bunch of alternate universes during that time, she confesses  _ ** _this_ ** _ ? _

_ And she had known what the medallion was doing to her ever since she was 16? _

_ Her soul, trapped in that thing...used as some sort of currency in order to call upon those strange abilities of hers...and after all was done, her life expectancy was reduced as punishment? _

_ He really needed those two, long months to "come to terms with it". But to be truthful, it wasn't enough. _

* * *

* * *

Reality slowly creeped back and the painful memories faded to the back of his mind, where they belonged. His eyes darted up, staring at her face and the medallion in interchanged intervals. Every couple of seconds his own expression grew more pained, after coming to understand the huge burden that rested in his friend's shoulders.

A burden that, until not so long ago, she held all by herself. 

He wanted to help her, and ease the weight of it all...But wasn't really sure  _ how  _ to so.

Soon enough, N realized that his hand was twitching. So, he slowly raised it up until he was holding it out towards her, but hesitation forced him to retreat the limb. Despite all this time coexisting along with other humans and friends, he still wasn't used to initiating gestures of affection or, worst of all, comforting ones. He was usually in the receiving end of those, and even then, they were a rare occasion since most of his friend circle knew he wasn't comfortable with unexpected physical touch.

Even his Sisters, who were arguably the ones that knew him the most, had troubles knowing when it was appropriate to comfort him, and even worse so letting go of the past- because they still saw him as their Lord, which made them keep that respectful distance even to this day.

Taking a deep breath, and then shifting his sitting position to now be on his knees, he faced her. Sheepishly, with both hands he took hold of the stretched one out, enveloping the medallion in between his own. The moment that his skin touched hers, Tina tensed up harshly, but didn't move or say anything.

Carefully constructing his words, he talked slowly. "I...believe that- no, I know that you didn't ask..." The grip he had tensed around the edges of the medallion, as he let out a hiss- "...For _this_" To ease his temper again, he sighed- "...But I want you to remember that, you don't have to be alone in this. Not anymore." N fell silent for a few seconds, collecting his thoughts. "You can count on us to listen to you when you need it- whether it comes to your fears or concerns, to let out some stress or to simply just...not be the Champion, but yourself."

During the speech, his eyes had been mostly fixated on his hands, unsure to meet her gaze, but her silence worried him. Hadn't she listened?

Bracing himself, N lift his head, but the sight in front of him was not what he had anticipated.

Tina's eyes were wide open, staring in utter disbelief.

But that was not all, her mouth hung open, as it seemed that she was struggling to find any appropriate words. It wasn't common that she ended in such a state- or at least, he had not seen it for a long time.

Then, Tina snatched back her hand from his grasp, rather harshly, and proceeded to hold it close to her chest, hiding the medallion. She even placed her free hand on top of it, as if it would somehow conceal it better.

Her eyes...looked afraid.

It reminded him of...Back when he defied her to gather all 8 badges of Unova all those years ago. In those times he didn't really care much about how she reacted to him or to his...lack of awareness of others personal space.

But now, after everything that had happened? Seeing Tina- without a doubt his so called "Best friend"- afraid of him was  _ painful _ .

_ What had he done wrong? _

_ Aren't...friends supposed to give support to each other with these gestures? _

_ Was this the wrong gesture? _

_ Did he go too far by acknowledging the medallion and leading the conversation there? _

_ Was it out of line to touch the subject when it seemed that she tried to ignore it? _

_ Did- did she hate hi- _

"Don't..." she started, stilling the voices inside his head for a moment. Not just that, however, as hearing her voice made N aware of the sudden coldness that enveloped his body as well as the increased, but painful and loud, heartbeat echoing on his ears. "Don't do that again. Please." She blinked a couple times, making her eyes return to their normal size, but the expression held in them was one of sadness. She stared at the concealed item on her hands. "This is...Fragile, you know?"

His own nerves started to come back to normal. "...R-right. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay, N. You...you didn't know." It was Tina's turn to sigh, releasing the item from her grasp, allowing it to hang freely from her neck. "I wasn't exactly...straightforward about it."

Tina didn't call him by his name often, she instead, always insisted on using one of her many colorful nicknames- some that came to mind easily were Lettuce, Asparagus, Buddy or even Nono- So to hear her calling him by name after so long...weirded him out.

How strange can human bonds be, for something as simple as a nickname to cause such an effect on him.

"Truth is...I may not be ready to be open about, the entirety of _this_ yet, but..." This time, she reached out to grab his shoulder, giving her friend a gentle smile. "I'm...really grateful that at least I can be honest about how I truly feel."

He kept quiet, waiting for his still beating heart to ease itself. He found relief in knowing that she wasn't angry, it had been just a small misunderstanding.

"Then...In that case, I am glad to be able to help. It is the least I can do after everything you have done for me."

The Champion blinked a couple of times, furrowing her brows "Huh? What do you mean? I...thought we were even already?"

Now it was his turn to be confused "Even...?"

"Yeah! You know-" She raised both of her hands on opposite sides of her face, raising one finger on each one as she spoke. "I kicked your butt and made you have an existential crisis, and you saved both me and Nate back on the Giant Chasm. I'd say that is pretty even."

The way she summarized the events was...colorful, but the point had been made. "You did more than just-" He raised his own hands, making quotation marks in the air. "'Kick my butt' and you know it. It doesn't change that I still owe you greatly for that."

The Champion shook her head as she lowered her hands. "Geez, at this rate you'll have done more for me that I have for you! It's not fair!" Her friend, however, didn't find those words as amusing as she tried to make them seem, so he raised an eyebrow. "And since when was this a competition, exactly? Does it really matter who does 'more' or 'less' for the other?" Looking ahead, he continued. "Besides...Even if I tried for the rest of my days, I don't think I could ever repay you for giving me a second chance in...Everything."

Her gaze dropped, and her voice became softer. "Nono..."

He chuckled. "It's the truth. That's how I feel about it. No matter how many times you may think we are 'even' or that I'm doing 'more than I should', in my heart, the impact that you left on me is something I will never be able to replicate. But despite that, it doesn't mean that I will stop trying to support you, my friend."

Tina kept quiet for a while, before starting to snicker. She reached out to ruffle his hair, action that made the man whine a quiet 'Hey-!' "Well, as long as you rely on me too, then I'll stop pointing out the disparity. It wouldn't be fair that I'm the only one being helped, you know?" Once she retrieved her hand, he started to fix his hair.

"I mean it Nono. Whenever you may need, well, anything, I'm always willing to lend an ear, or a hug." She leaned back against the tree, staring at one of the windows of the second floor. "Or if you need a place to stay, you can come here. You already have a key after all, and...well, the 'guest room' may as well be your room, at this point." 

He mumbled something unintelligible in the middle of her speech, but let it go. Instead, he turned towards the Champion, nodding. "I know that you mean it, I've known you for quite a while. But you know I don't like to stay over when you aren't here...It feels like I'm trespassing."

"Nono, you know that you aren't an intruder here. And I really want to trust that you are not sleeping on the ground-"

"I'm not."

The champion made an accusatory humming, but her companion ignored it, unable to suppress a cheeky laugh.

* * *

Tina blinked rapidly a few times, her eyes wide, looking around the open field. At that moment, she became aware of her surroundings. Tina squirmed in surprise from side to side- looking rather disoriented. "Wha-" she commenced, her tone in a slight panic. "When did it get so dark?!"

Ah. Right.

N answered nonchalantly. "Sunset was almost over when I arrived, and Lillie did mention that you came outside when it had just started." He raised an eyebrow again. "Were you so lost in thought that you didn't notice at all until now?"

She tried to open her mouth to answer- looking immensely silly with those eyes of hers looking like plates and her finger raised in protest- but closed it off instantly, instead making a pout. "...Perhaps."

N wasn't surprised at all, but his expression kept that evident 'Are you serious?' phrase all over. Tina whined, "Don't be mean, lettuce! We had a heart-to-heart!" While shaking her legs to wake them up, since she couldn't feel them after sitting for so long.

Finally she stood up, stumbling over her step, and proceeded to hide the medallion under her shirt, allowing only the thin chain around her neck to be seen. She stretched out, and after she was done, Tina reached out her hand to her friend. "Well, come on. It's getting cold and it would be really disappointing if I spent my little free time sick." He chuckled at the words, grabbing the outstretched hand, standing up as well.

The usual cheeriness on her voice came back as she walked towards the house. "Besides! I managed to bring those pastries from Hoenn to share!" She adjusted the bangs out of her face. "And this time, they won't disappear in an instant, since my dad isn't here." As she said the last sentence, her eyes rolled, with the smallest hint of amusement in her tone. 

He just shrugged. "We can still leave your parents some. It wouldn't be nice if they came back and realized they missed out on-"

"Oh no no, that won't happen!" Tina retorted in ironic exasperation. "You already know that my dad can, single handedly, eat the entire box in a blink! Not even leaving anything for mom and me! It's just fair payback if he misses out on those pastries, once." N rolled his eyes at her childish logic. What was the deal with this petty revenge just for some sweets?

Well, he may as well hide a pair when she isn't looking.

"Besides" She continued, "Aunt Cassandra doesn't make them often, and I feel bad whenever she does and asks me to bring home-" 

Tina stopped in her tracks, hand lingering on the handle of the glass door while she had been in the middle of her speech; He leaned forward, to see what the issue was.

Only to find his friend frowning, clearly confused and...Smelling something, rather intensely. "What is that smell?"

N couldn't help but wonder, how long had they been talking that the younger trainer's 'project' was- at least that was his inference- mostly finished. "Ah, Lillie's little secret must be done. I didn't think we were chatting as long as we did."

Tina slowly turned to face him, deadpan. "...Lillie is in the kitchen? Alone?"

...And even though he may cherish the person in front of him dearly, sometimes her protectiveness could get a little, no,  _ very _ , ridiculous. "...Tina, she can perfectly be in a kitchen and do whatever she pleases, besides, her Pokemon and a couple of yours are keeping watch- Hey!"

But his reasoning didn't stop the champion, as she turned mid-speech to open the sliding door and dashed towards the kitchen. Only a couple of seconds passed before he heard Lillie yell from the room, "Get out! You are not supposed to see yet!" There were more annoyed noises, belonging from the Pokemon inside, as they tried to 'shoo' her away back into the living room. He sighed, closing the door behind himself before grabbing the champion from the waist, carrying her into the living room, just like a little kid in the middle of a tantrum.

She, of course, did not appreciate this treatment, made apparent by her incessant thrashing about in his arms and the constant whining. Lillie sticked out her tongue at Tina from the kitchen for just a moment, before closing it.

But knowing each other, they would laugh at the amusement of the situation in just a couple of weeks.


End file.
